Stem Cell Transplants May Halt Progression of Multiple Sclerosis

Stem Cell Transplants May Halt Progression of Multiple Sclerosis

Stem Cell Transplants May Halt MS

Three-year findings from an ongoing clinical trial sponsored by NIAID suggest that high-dose immunosuppressive therapy followed by transplantation of a person's own blood-forming stem cells can induce sustained remission in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, a progressive autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord. If the findings are confirmed, this treatment may become a potential therapeutic option for people with this often-debilitating disease.